Rotary engine.



No. 632,8l6. r Patented Sept. l2,- I899. G. E. KIRBY &. H. W.'C.BOWTHEB.ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Kay 8, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets$heet I,

No. 632,8l6. Patented Sept. 12, 1899. a. E. KlRBY & H. w. CROWTHEB.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed May 8, 1899.

4 SheetsSheet 2,

(No Model.)

Tn: NORRIS PETERS co morauma. WASHINGTON n c No. 632,8l6. Patented Sept.12, 1899.- G. E. KIRBY G. H. W. CRDWTHER.

BDTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed May a, 1899.)

(No Model.)

No. 632,8!6. Patented Sept. l2, I899.

G. E. KIRBY &. H. W. CROWTHER.

ROTARY ENGINE. 4

(Aiaplication filed May a, 1899.} N MOflB 4 SheetsSheet 4,

NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE EDMUNIS KIRBY AND HENRY WILLIAM OROlVTHER, OF EXETER,

ENGLAND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,816,11atedSeptember 12, 1899.

Application filed May 8, 1899. fierial No. 715,998. (No model.)

1'0 all "whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE EDMUND KIRBY, mechanical engineer, and HENRYWILLIAM CROWTHER, jeweler, subjects of 5 Her Majesty the Queen'of GreatBritain, re-

siding at 21 Montpellier Terrace, Exeter, in the county of Devon,England, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention consists in improvements in rotary engines operated bysteam or similar fluid under pressure.

The construction and operation will be clearly understood by means ofthe drawings, 15 in which Figure 1 is afront part-sectional elevation,the standard being removed. Fig. 2 is a back part-sectional elevation.Fig. 2 is a view showing modification of ports. Fig. 3 is a sec- 20 tionon line A B and G H, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an external view of one of theslide-chests, showing part of the operating mechanism. Fig. 5 showsinterior detail of slide-chest. Fig. 6 shows the operating mechanism ofz 5 slide-chest on reverse side to that shown in Fig. 4.. Fig. 7 is anelevation of front standard, steamphest, and main admission-valve withcover removed. Fig. 8 is a part section on line C D, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 issectional de- 30 tail of one of the reversing-valves. Fig. 10 is a frontView showing dial. Fig. 11 is a plan of Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is a section online E F, Fig. 7, showing cover.

1 is the bed-plate, which may be formed of 35 cast-iron or like suitablemetal. Formed in one piece with it or secured to this bed-plate by boltsor the like are two standards 2, which carry the main bearings 3,andalso two standards 2, which support the split cylindershrouding 4:. Thisshrouding is cast,pressed, or otherwise formed in metal in two halfparts and subsequently united by bolts and nuts or set-screws l,whichpass through the flanges 4, A semicircular or other-shaped core orrecess 45 4: is formed in the position shown in each half, and this iscarefully turned or otherwise tooled. W'ithin this core, recess, orgroove the elongated pistons, which consist of two Muntz metal or othermetallic pluno gers 5 5, fitted with rings 6 or equivalent suitablepacking, revolve. These pistons are each formed with a slot 7, throughwhich passes a spur or tongue 7, forming part of or secured by rivets 7or other suitable manner to the disk 8, which is keyed to the shaft 9,journaled in the bearings 3. The disk is made steam-tight by means oftwo split rings 8 8" on each side, kept in position by the plate 8,secured by bolts or set-screws to it 4, or by equivalent suitablepacking. Upon this shaft is keyed a spur wheel 10, gearing into asmaller wheel,runningloose upon a stud 11. This wheel is prevented fromshifting its position by a set-pin 12, which engages with a groove 13,formed in the stud, and drives another wheel 10", the axle of which, 11,is' pivoted in a bracket 14 at one end and after passing through thestuffing-box or gland 15 is employed for driving the mainadmission-valve 16, which is keyed to and revolves with it. The oppositeend of the axle is preferably journaled in a spring-bearing or the like17, mounted on a cross-bar 17 within the steamchest 18, which is formedwith or bolted to the standard 2. To assist in keeping the disk valve 16tight against the ported face upon which it works, we employ the spring19. Ports 20 20' are formed in the valve, which interact with threeports 20' 20 20, (see dotted lines, Fig. 7,) formed in the wall of thesteam-chest 18, which is fitted with a cover 22.

The pipe 23, supplying steam, compressed air, or the like, enters thechest at its base, and three distributing-pipes 23 23 23 connect therespective ports 20 2O 20 with three reversing-valve boxes 24 24 2&formed in or mounted upon the shrouding and communicating by right andleft hand passages 25 25 25 with the cylindrical recess 4, in which thepistons move. These valve-boxes and passages maybe cored in theshrouding, as shown at Fig. 3, or they maybe bolted on, communicationwith the recess 4 being effected by the radial ports, as at 26, or bythe modification of same 26, Fig. 2. Exhaust-pipes 27 27 27 connect theexhaust-passages 28, Fig. 9, formed in the reversing-valves, with thecondenser 28, chimney, or the like, as the case may be.

The reversing-valves 3O 30 30 are each formed slightly tapering and havetwo ports 29 28, which serve as admission and exhaust Y 8" on disk 8.

openings in either direction as they may be rotated. The synchronousaction of these three valves is effected as follows: A bevelwheel 31 isattached to the spindle of each valve and two pinions 31 connected tothe ends of the shafts 32, supported by brackets 33. A lever 34, fittedwith spring-catch 34, is keyed to the valve-spindle and its motion toright or left limited by the slots35. By turning arou nd this lever thethree valves can each be made, by means of the bevel-gear, to occupy therequired position, which we prefer to indicate by a pointer 36, movingover a plate or dial 37, suitably marked on the exterior of each valve.(See Figs. 9 and 10.)

Mounted between the admission-ports 26, opening into the recess, arethree slide-chests 38 38 38 These are each fitted with a cutoff slide39, the function of which is to form a piston back or stopped end behindthe pistons in the direction of motion and to open at the proper momentto enable the pistons to pass. These chests may be fastened to theflanges by angle-plates 39 and bolts and nuts or be formed with ormounted in any other suitable manner. Each slide, which is preferably ofthe segmental shape shown in Fig. 5, is carefully faced and fitted tothe chest and a steam-tight joint made by scraping or the like and thecover 39" and side cover 38 fastened by screws. At a suitable point ineach slide a hole 40 of sufficient size to permit the pistons to pass isdrilled or bored. A slot 41, which enables the slide 39 to be removedwithout disturbing the chest, is formed in the slide and a spindle 42,with a square 43, journaled in a stuffing box or bush in the casings. Aspring 39' is employed to keep slide against the base of the chest.Crankarms 44 44 are keyed to the ends of each of these spindles andconnected by pins 44 through two links 45 45, slotted, as at 46, andpivoted to the studs 47 47. A short connecting-rod 48 48 is pivoted, asat 49 49, to each of these levers through links 49 49 and is adjustablyfastened to a cross-head 5O '50, each of which is fitted with aguidespindle 51 and guide 52 and carries a roller 53, operated by twolifts 54 54, attached to or formed upon the sides of the packing-platesThe stroke of the slides is adjusted by the nuts 48 on connecting-rods48 48. The function of the shorter lifts 54 (shown in Figs. 1 and 3) isto open each slide at the proper moment for the pistons to pass, whilethat of the longer lift 54 (shown in Figs. 2 and 4) is to close the sameafter the piston has passed, so as to form a piston back or cover.

The operation of our invention is as follows: Steam, compressed air, orother fluid under pressure is admitted through pipe 23 to the mainvalve-chest 18 and passes out through the valve 16 and by one or otherof the distributing-pipes 23 23 23 to that reversingvalve which is inposition to admit steam behind the piston. At this moment the slide 39behind and in front of this piston will be closed, the exhaust-steambeing swept out of the cylinder by the advancing piston through port 26,passage 25, and through exhaustopening 28 in valve to condenser orchimney, as the case may be. Reference to the drawings will make clearthat when one of the elongated pistons is, say, in the center of itsstroke the other is in the act of passing through the opening in theslide 39, so as to be ready to take steam. The engine is reversed byrotating, by means of the lever, pinions, and bevel-gear, the threevalves shown so as to reverse the direction in which the steam wasentering previously.

Our invention is not confined to the use of a single cylinder andcomponents. Two or several of these may be mounted on one shaft, ifdesired. XVe may also increase the number of sections to six with fourpistons, and so on, if required. The flanged recess may also be cast,pressed, or otherwise formed in several parts, if more convenient.

Vhat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotary shaft and diskcarried thereby with packing-rings 8, 8", arranged parallel to theperipheral parts of the disk on both sides of the peripheral parts ofthis disk, annular plates 8 arranged outside of the said rings andparallel to the said disk, the said plates being fastened to the latterfor clamping the said rings thereon, pistons carried by the said disk, acylinder in which the said disk revolves, inlet and exhaust valves andpassages for the sections of the annular space between the cylinder anddisk, slides for dividing the said space into such sections, andmechanism for operating the said valves and slides, substantially as setforth.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotary disk and an exteriorcylinder concentrically arranged with respect to the same at aninterval, with packing-rings arranged in pairs on each side of theperipheral part of the said disk-plates parallel to the sides of thelatter, means for fastening the said plates to the said disk to hold thesaid packing-rings in place, pistons turning withsaid disk and means forapplying pressure to one side of each piston in succession,substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a rotary disk, the pistons carried thereby, and afixed surrounding cylinder, a series of pivoted segmental slides fordividing the intervening space into sections, slide-chests through whichthe said slides respectively operate, a spring interposed between thesaid slides and their piv- 01's, and mechanism for oscillating the saidslides, each slide being provided with a hole for allowing the passageof a piston and with a slot for receiving one of the said springs andallowing the removal of the slide at will, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with a rotary disk, the

pistons carried thereby and a surrounding cylinder, at segmental slidefor dividing the intervening space into sections and provided with anopening for the passage of a piston, and a series of actuating devicesfor each slide, consisting of the pivot-spindle 42,cranl:- arms on theends of these spindles, two lifts, one being shorter than the other,means for operating the same and links,levers and other interveningdevices whereby the said lifts are connected to the said cranks, thefunction of the shorter lift being to move the slide into position forpresenting the said opening to the pistons, Whereas the longer liftmoves the slide into position to present its solid side, therebydividing the said space into sections, substantially as set forth.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination of the main admission-valve, therotary disk, pistons and cylinder with three tapering rethe requiredposition to the said valves and secure synchronism ,substantially as setforth. In testimony whereof We hereunto affix our signatures in thepresence of two witnesses.

GEORGE EDMUND KIRBY. HENRY WILLIAM OROWVTHER.

\Vitnesses:

EDMUND WILLIAM LUKE, JOHN GALE PEDRIOK.

